Fitness has always been a concern with regard to both mental and physical health regardless of age, gender, or any other variables that make each one of us unique. And for those in the blind community, fitness is every bit as much—if not more—important.

Exercise for the visually impaired is something that should be incorporated into a weekly, if not daily, routine for a variety of reasons that are both similar and different from people within the sighted community. For those with total loss of sight as well as for those who are low sighted, a lack of regular exercise can bring on a host of other issues, including weight gain, sluggishness, and perhaps worst of all for many, insomnia or a circadian rhythm that has been thrown completely off track.

A quality workout done at the right time of day and at the right pace to meet your unique physical and mental needs is just what the doctor may have forgotten to order. For many blind people, fitness has been a challenge: without someone to guide you and without the ability to drive yourself to the gym, it becomes obvious why so many visually impaired individuals give up—but with the BlindAlive line of Fitness Workouts for blind people, you’ll never have to depend on anyone else again.

Yoga and Strength Training with wieghts for blind people along with a variety of other cardiovascular exercises help our bodies stay toned, help us gain muscle mass and lose weight, but most of all, can help lead a blind person away from a sense of helplessness.

Are you ready to sweat? Come get healthy and leave all your notions of not being able to get fit due to your visual impairment behind with BlindAlive!

3 Tips for Dramatic Workout Results

Have you ever started an exercise plan with so much energy you almost scared yourself? This is the time you are going to really do it! Maybe you're preparing for a beach vacation that is a few months away, you generally want to feel and look better, or maybe you want to stop those critical voices that live both inside and outside your head. But eventually, your good intentions fade, and your workouts come to a halt. This happens to nearly everyone, but I think that as people who are blind, we are especially susceptible to letting our workouts slide.

There may be many reasons we do this, but one contributing factor could be that we don't see results from what we are doing. While we can't look in a mirror, we can still use items like talking scales and tactile tape measures to gain the information we need to see that progress and move forward. Here are three additional tips to get the most out of your workouts so you can "see" great results:

1 Make the time count. Most of us are busy people, so setting time aside to exercise doesn't come naturally at first. Even if we have lots of time at our disposal, there are plenty of things we'd rather be doing. But once we've set aside 30 minutes, or however long it takes, why not make the time count? If you trudge on the treadmill, not even becoming slightly winded, you're not making the best use you can of your time. Resolve to give it your all. And if that means cutting your time down so you can increase your intensity, just know that you can always build back up to your original time.

2 Be reasonable. To many, this seems like the hardest thing in the world. Some of us push ourselves too hard and cause injuries. Others think we can't do it, and don't push hard enough. Sometimes, we will push too hard in one area, and not hard enough in others. I do not believe we don't push ourselves because we are weak-willed, or that we over-extend ourselves because we are foolish. If we can't see our peers, it may be hard to even have an idea how hard to push. If you are constantly struggling in this area, consider spending some time working out with a friend or personal trainer. Don't hesitate to ask questions. Some good ones might be: "Does it look to you like I am working as hard as I can?" "If not, why not?" "When I do a specific action, it feels like it is pulling. Is this normal?" "Am I doing the exercises correctly and safely?" Having a thick skin during this process is essential. The important thing is to learn what you need to get the most out of your workouts.

3 Listen, and listen some more. We are bombarded with so much information, tuning some of it out becomes second nature. How many of us listen to what we think we need from our screen readers, only to tune out what we think is secondary or unimportant? Have you ever noticed how often BlindAlive’s workouts say: "Keep your core nice and tight," or "Keep your shoulders back and down?" This isn't just filler; it's important. By maintaining proper alignment, for example, we can work muscles harder and more efficiently so that we can get every possible benefit. If you don't understand a term, just ask. In the case of our workouts, we have descriptions for each exercise, and can give further information by phone or email. You can visit our Contact Page to learn more.